Culture bottle assembly

ABSTRACT

A CULTURE BOTTLE ASSEMBLY OF THE TYPE USED FOR CULTURING BLOOD SAMPLES. THE ASSEMBLY INCLUDES A TRAY INSERT WHICH IS DESIGNED TO HOLD A SOLID AGAR NUTRIENT MATERIAL AT A LOCATION ALONG THE AXIAL CENTERLINE OF THE BOTTLE. THE BOTTLE ALSO HOUSES A LIQUID NUTRIENT BROTH WHICH MAY BE SEPARATED FROM THE SOLID AGAR BY POSITIONING THE BOTTLE ON ITS SIDE.

June 29,1971 w. J, HOLDER/1TH ET AL 3,589,983

- 4 CULTURE BOTTLE ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 11. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR S w. J. H01. 05 7- ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofice Patented June 29, 1971 3,589,983 CULTURE BOTTLE ASSEMBLY William J. Holderith, Wyckolf, and John J. Lawless, Jr., Brookside, N.J., assignors to Becton Dickinson and Company Filed Dec. 11, 1968, Ser. No. 782,889 Int. Cl. C12k 1/10 US. Cl. 195-139 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A culture bottle assembly of the type used for culturing blood samples. The assembly includes a tray insert which is designed to hold a solid agar nutrient material at a location along the axial centerline of the bottle. The bottle also houses a liquid nutrient broth which may be separated from the solid agar by positioning the bottle on its Side.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a biological testing device and more particularly to a culture bottle assembly of the type used primarily for culturing blood specimens for detection of unwanted organisms. By way of example, testing devices of this type are commonly used for examining blood specimens for the presence of facultative or strictly anaerobic organisms such as typhoid and paratyphoid bacilli, staphylococci, streptococci, pneumococci, or clostridia, and for the presence of aerobic organisms such as meningocci, gonococci, or brucella.

Culture bottles of the described type generally comprise a sealed container including two different nutrient materials, one being in the form. of a solid or gelatinous agar slant and the other being in the form of a liquid broth. The blood or other substance to be tested is introduced into the container which is then agitated to mix the blood and broth and also to wash the mixture over the agar surface. By selectively positioning the container, the agar layer may be disposed above the broth to insure separation of the two materials during the incubation period. In other instances, it is desirable to position the bottle such that the broth and agar remain in contact.

After an incubation period of approximately twelve to eighteen hours, the bottle is examined for the presence of colonies on the agar surface. Bottles incubated with the broth in contact with the agar generally show initial growth at the juncture of the two materials. If colonies are present, the bottle may be opened and the colonies picked for further study.

-If the slant is negative after the above period, the bottle may be turned to again wash the inoculated broth over the agar surface, and then re-incubated. The culture is normally examined daily for at least ten days to two weeks before being discarded as negative.

Culture bottles of known design generally include an indentation along one or more side edges (or they may include a plurality of internal ribs) to retain the agar slant along one side wall of the container. This structure is required to insure separation of the agar and broth during the long incubation period. Due to this requirement, presently used culture bottles are subject to several troublesome and costly manufacturing operations. In addition, the slant nevertheless often pulls away from the retaining structure and thereby inadvertently comes in contact with the broth during the incubation period.

A further disadvantage in the present design is the fact that the assembly must be filled under aseptic conditions. Terminal sterilization after assembly by autoclaving is not possible since the gelatinous agar slant will tend to melt and pull away from its retaining structure upon heating. This fact further increases thecost of the finished product.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a culture bottle assembly of the described type which overcomes the defects and disadvantages in the presently known designs. In particular, it is an object of this invention to provide a culture bottle which is simple in design and inexpensive to manufacture.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a secure and foolproof arrangement to separate the agar from the broth. In this regard, it is an object of the invention to provide a retaining structure for the agar slant which permits terminal sterilization by autoclaving without danger of the slant becoming dislodged.

These and other objects are achieved in the embodiment of the present invention described herein, through the provision of a flask or bottle having a neck defining a relatively wide opening at one end. A removable tray member is designed to be inserted into the bottle through the neck opening and includes an end mating section to frictionally engage the interior wall of the opening and thereby retain the assembly of the two members. The tray member also includes a receptacle portion for retaining the agar slant. An aperture is provided in the end mating section of the tray member to permit the passage of a fluid therethrough when the tray member is inserted in the flask. The aperture is closed by a stopper which is pierceable by a needle to introduce the blood or other fluid to the interior of the flask.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, showing the culture bottle assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view, partly in section, of the subject bottle;

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view, showing the subject bottle in a horizontal position;

FIG. 4 is a sectional side view, showing the subject bottle in a vertical position; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the tray member of the subject invention;

:FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a tray member of alternate configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, a culture bottle assembly embodying the present invention is shown generally at 10. The assembly includes a bottle or flask 12 which is preferably made from a transparent material such as glass or plastic. The flask 12 is illustrated as being generally cylindrical in outer configuration, but it will be understood that it may be of. a rectangular configuration to support the assembly in a horizontal position as shown in FIG. 3.

A neck 14 is formed at the upper end of the flask to define a relatively wide-mouth opening 16. The interior surface of the neck which forms the opening 16 is generally cylindrical, while the outside surface is shaped to form the threads 18. A tray member 20 is designed to pass through the opening 16 and be positioned within the flask 10 as shown in FIG. 1. One end of the tray member comprises a tubular mating section 22 having an outer diameter comparable to the inside diameter of the opening 16 such that an interference fit is formed between the two members when they are assembled as shown in FIG. 1. The mating section 22 has an annular lip 24 for engaging the outer end of the neck 14, and also includes an aperture 26 leading to the interior of the flask for the purposes hereinafter set forth.

The other end of the tray member 20 comprises a receptacle portion 28 which, in the illustrated embodiment, includes a rectangular flat floor 30 and surrounding side walls 32. The tray itself may be made [from any suitable material such as molded plastic, glass, or other ceramic.

A resilient stopper 34, which may be made from rubber or other elastomeric material, is provided to sealingly enter the tubular mating section 22. An overlying cap 36 may also be provided to overlie the opening 16 and engage the threads 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the cap 36 is designed to press the stopper 34 and lip 24 into firm sealing engagement with the upper end of the neck 14. The cap 36 may obviously be made from a wide variety of materials; the phenolic resin sold under the trademark Bakelite being a very satisfactory example.

The assembly is made ready for use by first dispensing the agar nutrient material 38 in liquid form (and at an elevated temperature) into the receptacle 28 of the tray member. The agar may be allowed to cool and solidify either before or after the tray is inserted into the bottle. The liquid broth 40 is then dispensed into the bottle. If the tray has been inserted, the broth is directed through the opening 26. The particular compositions of the agar and broth are well known in the art and form no part of this invention.

Upon insertion of the tray member 20, a seal is formed by the interference fit between the mating section 22 and the opening 16 of the bottle neck. The stopper 34 is then inserted to sealingly close the inside diameter of the mating section 22. At this point the bottle may, if desired, be evacuated to facilitate entry of the blood as hereinafter described. The bottle is next capped to enhance the seal, and finally autoclaved. It will be understood that the autoclaving operation is conducted while the assembly is in the horizontal position as illustrated in FIG. 3. This is necessary to prevent the movement of the agar material 38. When the assembly has cooled and the agar has solidified, the bottle may be handled in the normal manner.

As seen in FIG. 4, the length of the tray member 20 is such that a portion of the agar material 38 is submerged in the broth 40 when the assembly is in the vertical position. If desired, a retaining bracket 42 may be mounted along the inside surface of the bottle bottom wall to insure the stability of the tray member; note FIGS. 3 and 4.

In use, a blood transfer assembly of the type illustrated and described in the patent to Adams et al., No. 2,689,562, may be utilized to obtain a blood sample from the patient for transfer to the culture bottle. The cap 36 is first removed to expose the stopper 34. A venipuncture is then made with the intravenous needle of the transfer as- 1 noted, the bottle may be evacuated to facilitate the transfer operation. In addition, the bottle may contain small amounts of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or some other gas whose presence is desired for a particular test.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the receptacle portion of the tray member 20 may be designed to include a plurality of compartments 44 defined by a number of transverse Walls 46. Such a design permits the use of several difierent compositions of agar material in a single test.

While the present invention has been described in considerable detail herein, it should be recognized that various modifications thereof will readily occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention should therefore be determined solely from the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A culture bottle assembly comprising:

a flask having a neck defining an opening at one end, the outer surface of said neck having thread engaging means and the internal surface being substantially cylindrical,

a tray member positioned inside said flask, said tray member including a cylindrical end section frictionally mounted in said neck opening, and a receptacle portion having a congealed layer of nutrient material positioned therein,

an amount of liquid nutrient material positioned in said flask,

and closure means cooperating with said thread engaging means to seal the flask opening.

2. The culture bottle assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said receptacle portion comprises a relatively flat floor and surrounding side Walls.

3. The culture bottle assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said receptacle portion includes a plurality of compartments defined by at least one transverse wall, each of said compartments having a congealed layer of nutrient material positioned therein.

4. The culture bottle assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said cylindrical end section of said tray member includes an aperture therethrough such that a fluid may be placed in said flask after said tray member is positioned therein.

5. The culture bottle assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein a pierceable resilient stopper closes the aperture in said cylindrical end section.

6. The culture bottle assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said flask is made from a transparent material.

7. The culture bottle assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said flask further houses a gas at a pressure less than atmospheric.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,619,088 11/1952 Saffir 215 2,817,337 12/1957 Herzig 215-(MD) 2,904,205 9/1959 Callery 215100 2,992,974 7/1961 Belcove et al. 139

ALVIN E. TANENHOLTZ, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

